§ Mr. LANSBURYasked the Minister of Agriculture the cost to His Majesty's Government of the lactose factory at Haslington, near Crewe, the date on which it was sold, and the sale price; whether it was sold by public auction or otherwise; and the loss incurred to the Exchequer by the sale?
Mr. GUINNESSThe total cost of the experimental factory at Haslington, which was established to investigate the problem of the utilisation of whey, was £43,600, including maintenance charges of £12,700 during the period 1918–26; it was sold by public tender for £3,000, as from 1st March, 1926. The cost of the experiment to the Exchequer was therefore £40,600. An account of the work done at the factory, and of the solution which was obtained of the problem before it, has been published by the Ministry in a monograph of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.